Hose-coupling.



J. lW. PERGUsoN.

HOSE GoUlfLING,

APPLICATION FILED APB. 15, 1909 Patented July 26, 19110q ments indetails loosely held in openings 5 l ingly, when the male end lL l' NETESTATE@ PATENT FFl@E Josnrn W. FERGUSON,

0F QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOSE-COUPLING.

To` all whom 'it may concern: Beit known that I, JOSEPH W. FERGUSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, county of Norfolk, andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented cert-ain new and usefulimprovements in Hose- Couplmgs, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is in the line of couplings for the hose pipes of fireengines, especially, and it has for its object the construction ofimproved means for enabling such couplings to be instantaneously engagedone with the other; also to means for prevent-ing the couplings fromrengaging while they are being unscrewed; and to other improveofconstruction hereinafter set forth. ,l

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1is a sectional plan view on the line X-X in Fig. 2 of a coupling-memberembodying m invention. Fig. 2 is a sect-ion through. in Fig. l of saidmember. Fig. 3 is a view treating block, and Fig. 4 of hole for same.

As shown in Fig. 2, a coupling member consists'of the'externallythreaded section l, and a socket 2 containing the internal screwthreadsfor engagement by the externallythreaded section l:t of anothercouplingmember. To permit such engagement to 'be instantaneous, saidinternal screw threads 3 are formed in the inner ends of retreatingblocks 4 retained in their normal posit-ion byv suitable resilientmeans.

in the sides of the socket 2, which are 4downwardly inclined outwardly,as shown in Fig. 2; and accordof another couping member is thrust intothe socket 2, and is pressed against the threaded ends of the blocks 4,the latter are forced thereby back, down and within their openings untilsuch male end has washer G. Such introduced member is then held by saidthreaded blocks which are pressed into enga gement therewith by theirresilient means, and a partial ,turn thereof i 'gforces it intowater-tight contact with said introduced member washer. Although saidwithdrawn Ifrom the -socket 2 cannot be without unscrewing it in theusual manner,

it is found-when thus unscrewing it, the` vvweight of 'the att-achedhose will continually force it back into the socket again, therebyrendering it almost impossible for of the 'ref Said blocks are seateditself against the rubbert Patented July 26, 1910. seriai ivo. 490,171.

one man unaided to unserew a coupling of this character. Such a nuisancehas this proved to be that no fire station will long keep the same inuse, notwithstanding its manifest convenience for quick coupling. Toovercome this defect of interlocking, I have provided the sleeve 7,which surrounds said socket 2 and conceals the outer ends of the blocks4 and their springs 8, with locking lugs 9, which, when a partial turnis given to said sleeve, come into the paths of said blocks and preventtheir yielding to the pressure of the male section a. The action of thissleeve is made automatic by means ol the pin-or screw 10 projecting fromsaid sleeve into a slot l1 in said socket. The length and location ofsaid slot is so arranged that the turn of said sleeve to its limit inone direction will take said lugs out from the paths of said blocks,while a turn to the limit in the opposite direction will bring said lugsinto their locking position. Said sleeve being vprovided with radialears 12 by means of which they are held by the eustomarycoupling-wrench, the turn which will be given to said sleeverelative tothe parts within when Ithe male member is bein` unscrewed therefrom,will bring said blocks 'and lugs into juxtaposition, and so lock thesaid blocks against retreatlng under any return which may be given tothe said male member. by the weight of the hose. Further, when themembers are to be coupled, a

screwing-in motion will naturally be applied to the male member. Theeifeet of this will be to turn the socket within th'e sleeve 7 lugs 9,thereby permitting said blocks to retreat and permit the entrance ofsaid male member.

As shown in Fig. 1, the blocks 4 are arranged somcwhat tangentially,aswell as externally depressed as illustrated in Fig. 2. The purpose ofthis is two-fold: lt frequently happens that some dust or dirt gets intothe openings 5 about the blocks so that they do not retreat easilyenough as'the male member is thrust into the socket, but as ascrewing-in motion is given said male member as thelatter is inserted inthe socket, this movement added to the direct pressure serves toeifectually start said blocks in lthe required centrifugal motion.Another advantage is the increased length of\. opening given by suchtangential arrangement 1n comparison with radially arrangedop'iand sorelease the blocks from the ings. Consequently the wall of the socketcan be made thinner than would otherwise be the case, and the couplingreduced in size.

The resilient means for returning the blocks 1 into engagement with themale screw member inserted in the socket 2 is preferably one or moreline helical springs 8 wrapped about the socket in a suitable groove 13therein, and also in notches 14 in the ends of the blocks, as shown inFigs. Q

and 3.

The blocks 4- being cylindrical, it is necessary to provide some meansfor keeping them from turning in the holes 5. Ordinarily, the springs 8by their location in the notch 14 of a. block, and the groove 13 of thesocket, are sufficientfor the purpose; but when the blocks are presseddown and outward by the in-forced male screw 1a, the sections of thesprings immediately beside the blocks are brought outside the groove 13,and so in danger of being carried up or down into engagement withthe'edges of the said groove, should the blocks get slightly turned, asthey are so apt to and are no longer prevented by the above-describedcoaction of the springs and grooves. vWith the springs thus caught uponthe grooveedges, the blocks are no longer pressed inward,and theintroduced male screw 1a fails to be engaged and held. To prevent suchturning of the blocks when thus pressed back, I form a shoulder 15 atthe lower edge or corner of cach block 1, which by coming into contactwith the lower shoulder 16 of the sleeve 7 when the blocks reach theiroutward and downward limit, accomplishes the desired-result. Suchturning of the blocks is objectionable for the reason above set forth,but even more so because of the danger of their threads crossing thethreads of the male screw and so being unable to enter between thelatter.

The blocks are keptfrom accidental removal from their openings or holes5 in the following manner: As shown in Fig. 11, a groove 17 is turnedabout the exterior of the socket 2, preferably at the upper parts ofsaid holes. Then the blocks have a couple of points 18 prick-punched outtherefrom 'into said groove, as shownin Fig. 3; such out-jutting pointsof metal serving to hold the blocks from going inward too far.

It sometimes occurs that when the coupling member is held by a fireman,he does not grasp the sleeve 7 as the male member 1fL is being insertedinto the socket or female section 2, but takes hold of the hoseconnected with the said coupling-membf-lr. When this is done, theabove-described automatic means for releasing the blocks from thepresence of the locking lugs 9, do not operate, and he must then stop toturn the sleeve by hand. To insure the automatic operation under allcircumstances,- I provide a resilient means for normally keeping thesaid sleeve in its position lfor holding its locking lugs 9 out of thepath of the blocks. I prefer to do this by means of a spiral spring 20located within the slot 11 and a reduced prolongation 21 thereof, andpressing against the pin or screw 10. This spring acts to turn saidsleeve to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and hence with its lockinglugs out of the path of the blocks. This spring does not interfere with'the opposite turn of the sleeve 7 when the Spanner is applied thereto inunscrewing the couplings,l and said locking lugs are brought to theirlocking engagement with said blocks.

I prefer to secure the sleeve in rotative engagenient with the socket byforming them with mutually engaging loosely enough fitting to permit thedesired relative movements thereof, as shown yin Fig. 2.

What I claim as my invention and for which I desire Letters Patent is asfollows, to wit 1. An automatic coupling comprising a socket havingopenings through its wall, terminally-threaded blocks slidable in saidopening, and a sleeve rotatable about said socket and blocks; saidsleeve being provided with projections on its inner face which can bebrought into or out of the -paths of said blocks by a partial turn ofsaid sleeve, means limiting the ,movement of said sleeve whereby at onelimit said proj ections are out of said paths, and at the other limitsaid projections are in said paths, and

resilient means yieldingly holding said sleeve with itsY saidprojectionsy out of said paths.

Q. An automatic coupling comprising a socket having openings through itswall, terminally threaded blocks Vslidable in said openii'igs, andresilient means pressing said blocks inwardly, said openings being eachinclined in two directions', one direction being relative to the axis ofthe coupling and the other direction being relative to a tan gent drawnto the periphery at such point.

3. An automatic coupling comprising a socket. retreating terminallythreaded cylindrical'blocks carried b v said socket. resilient meanspressing said blocks inward, and a rotatably carried` sleeve about thesame; each of said blocks having a. flat shoulder at one edge, and saidsleeve having a surface adapted to flatly contact with said shoulderswhen the blocks are pressed to -their limits outwardly, and so preventtheir turning.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto setmy hand this 14th day of i pril, 1909.

JOSEPH W. FERGUSON.

litnesses A. B. UPHAM, VARREN N. Amies.

screw threads iov

